President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia held a prolonged assembly with Yevgeny V. Prigozhin and his high commanders from the Wagner non-public navy firm simply 5 days after the group launched a quick mutiny, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov mentioned on Monday.
It is the primary identified contact between the 2 males because the Wagner group’s transient rebellion, which posed essentially the most dramatic problem to Mr. Putin’s authority in his greater than 20 years in energy.
Mr. Putin invited 35 folks to the three-hour assembly, together with the highest Wagner commanders and the group’s chief, Mr. Prigozhin, on June 29, the Kremlin spokesman mentioned. Just days earlier, the mercenaries seized a southern Russian metropolis and an vital Russian navy headquarters, and commenced a short-lived march on Moscow, in search of the removing of the management of the Russian Defense Ministry.
In the times since, the standing of Mr. Prigozhin, the Wagner group and its fighters has been shrouded in thriller. Despite the announcement of a deal beneath which Mr. Prigozhin known as off the rebellion and would go to Belarus, he has remained in Russia, in accordance with Russian information reviews and the Belarusian president. Mr. Prigozhin has not been seen publicly since June 24, the day of the rebellion.
Mr. Peskov described the small print of the assembly as “unknown,” elevating additional questions on the way forward for Wagner.
“The only thing we can say is that the president gave his assessment of the company’s actions” throughout each the conflict in Ukraine and the rebellion, Mr. Peskov mentioned. “Putin heard out the commanders and proposed further employment options and further combat options.”
The commanders shared with Mr. Putin their model of occasions, Mr. Peskov mentioned, and pledged their loyalty to the Russian president. Mr. Prigozhin had beforehand asserted that the transient mutiny was a stand in opposition to Russia’s navy management, not Mr. Putin or his authorities.
“They emphasized that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and commander in chief — and also said they are prepared to fight for the country going forward,” Mr. Peskov mentioned.
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